1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gas-powered grill apparatus for cooking and warming food outdoors, and to a method of using same. More particularly, the present invention relates to an outdoor gas grill apparatus, including a side-mounted auxiliary burner for placement at a lower height than a main grill burner, and to a method of using the grill apparatus.
2. Description of the Background Art
Outdoor gas grills are widely used in the fields of residential and commercial cooking. In particular, outdoor gas grills, using compressed gaseous fuel such as propane, LPG or LNG are commercially available, and are commonly used for barbecue-style cooking.
A conventional outdoor gas grill generally includes a burner element positioned beneath heat-tolerant lava rocks or briquettes, and a grate or grilling surface, positioned above the burner assembly and briquettes. Aside from their general construction, the previously known outdoor gas grills can differ significantly in size, and can also differ as to what options a particular outdoor grill may include.
By way of example, an outdoor grilling apparatus may be stationary with removable grilling units (U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,265), portable, incorporating swing-out food and briquette grates (U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,792), or may include a height-adjustable work shelf attached to a main grill body (U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,080).
Additionally, some of the known outdoor gas grilling apparatus may be equipped with a burner unit and associated support rack, similar to that of a kitchen range/cooktop, capable of cooking or warming food in a cooking utensil (e.g. pot or pan).
Several variants of outdoor gas grilling apparatus, incorporating at least one burner unit, are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,886,045, 6,067,978 and 6,192,878.
As previously stated, traditional outdoor gas grilling apparatus perform the tasks of cooking and warming food on a grilling surface or grate; the operation of which is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,978. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,978 is incorporated by reference herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,978, issued to Schlosser et al., entitled, “Outdoor Cooking Apparatus With Improved Auxiliary Gas Burner,” discloses a portable, gas fuel-burning, outdoor cooking apparatus including a stationary grill, an auxiliary gas burner located to one side of the stationary grill, and an additional foldable work surface. The Schlosser et al. invention uses a unitary fuel source for both the grill and auxiliary burner. The auxiliary burner is affixed to a first side of the cooking apparatus, while food preparation surfaces are positioned along the opposing side of the cooking apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,045, issued to Ducate, Jr. et al., entitled, “Side Burner Attachment For Gas-Fired Grill,” discloses a side burner attachment for outdoor gas grills. The Ducate, Jr. et al. side burner assembly includes two outwardly extending bars which enable the side burner to be secured to the grilling apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,494, issued to Giebel et al., entitled, “Side Burner for Barbecue Gill,” discloses a side burner with a hinged covering lid for an outdoor gas grilling apparatus. The side burner of Giebel et al. includes an assembly for receiving fuel from the existing fuel source of the grilling apparatus, and attaches to an outdoor grilling apparatus in a static position. The side burner includes a hinge-mounted covering lid, which functions as an additional worktop when the side burner is not in use.
As noted above, some of the known outdoor gas grilling apparatus incorporate a side or auxiliary burner to provide for cooking or warming food in a pot or pan, separate from the main grilling area. However, in the known designs, the auxiliary burners are secured to the grilling apparatus in a fixed position, generally at a height substantially parallel to, and abutting or spaced only slightly away from the main grilling surface.
However, this known burner arrangement is not optimal for all applications because, while food cooked on the grilling surface is normally placed directly thereon, and is therefore easily accessible to a user, in contrast, food cooked in boiling water, in hot oil, or in a stockpot must be placed in a pot having relatively high side walls. When such a tall pot is placed on a burner located at substantially the same level as the grilling surface, the top edge of the pot is raised significantly higher than the grilling surface, and as a result, it may become difficult to see into the interior of the pot.
With the above-described arrangement of burners, placing, removing and/or viewing the contents of a pot or pan with high side walls, such as a stockpot or fry pot, becomes a difficult task.
As a result, a need still exists in the art for an outdoor gas grilling apparatus which provides an auxiliary burner at a significantly lower height than the main grilling surface, to allow a user of the grill to ergonomically accommodate the use of any size pot. Preferably, such a grill would have an auxiliary burner placed at a height low enough that a person using the grill could easily see the contents of a pot on the auxiliary burner.
It would be particularly advantageous if an auxiliary burner unit could be made adjustable in height, to allow a user to select a comfortable cooking height for the burner.